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
Saturday, April 25
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....
Saturday, April 18
Burning at both ends, sides too
Woke up, rolled over to the 'rant and pretty much got hammered by L all day long until dinner service, where he seemed to run out of steam. Fortunately we have an experienced pizzaman to pick up the slack, but L has been butting heads, and the new guy might not last. Hell, will I last? L wants me to be more like....him. Aggressive, more pushy, eyes on everyone at all times. I agree, to be manager you have to be there and be interactive and know what's happening, but the yelling, the bullying, the fits of anger, the threats, that's just not my style or personality. I think I genuinely have the respect of the kitchen and other staff, but I wonder how much of that is simply because the captain of the ship is barking and they're looking for sense of calm in this job of theirs that they were able to land in this crap economy? I'm so tired...
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cornflakes with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 3:30pm, penne with vodka sauce, a little bread, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, 2 glasses mendorla, a few slices of cucumber, a little water, GuS orange soda, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 10:30pm, slice of pizza with roasted red peppers, onion, mushroom, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 11pm, tastes of two new wines in the 'rant
AM SNACK: 1am, cold slice of pizza, 3 cookies, quart of water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Yes, after a long day at the pizzeria, I came home and ate cold pizza.
BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cornflakes with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 3:30pm, penne with vodka sauce, a little bread, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, 2 glasses mendorla, a few slices of cucumber, a little water, GuS orange soda, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNACK: 10:30pm, slice of pizza with roasted red peppers, onion, mushroom, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 11pm, tastes of two new wines in the 'rant
AM SNACK: 1am, cold slice of pizza, 3 cookies, quart of water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Yes, after a long day at the pizzeria, I came home and ate cold pizza.
Friday, April 17
Long
Long day, class in the morning, boiler pressure most of the day at the restaurant. L is pushing me to work the other stations, which is cool, but things are still running on edge a bit. Still, we shut down for an hour, had a nice lunch, vibes weren't totally negative.
BREAKFAST 1: 6:30am, good yogurt with honey, cashews, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM ZING: 8am, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Took one to school in hopes of fighting the good fight, but the sleepy demons got me in their grasp again during the numbers of cost control.
BREAKFAST 2: 10am, choco donut, apple fritter, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Unusually hungry, I wish there were healthier options around for breakfast when on break from class.
LUNCH: 4pm, Italian parsley sausage with onion, pepper and salad, 1 slice of pizza, lemonade, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a few bites of applewood smoked bacon, a sprite, a glass of mendorla, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 11:30pm, 7 prosciutto balls, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A new appetizer on the menu, I did a plate minus the oil we cook it in, came out darn good.
AM WATERING: 12:30am, quart o' water
BREAKFAST 1: 6:30am, good yogurt with honey, cashews, vanilla, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM ZING: 8am, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Took one to school in hopes of fighting the good fight, but the sleepy demons got me in their grasp again during the numbers of cost control.
BREAKFAST 2: 10am, choco donut, apple fritter, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Unusually hungry, I wish there were healthier options around for breakfast when on break from class.
LUNCH: 4pm, Italian parsley sausage with onion, pepper and salad, 1 slice of pizza, lemonade, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a few bites of applewood smoked bacon, a sprite, a glass of mendorla, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
DINNER: 11:30pm, 7 prosciutto balls, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A new appetizer on the menu, I did a plate minus the oil we cook it in, came out darn good.
AM WATERING: 12:30am, quart o' water
Wednesday, April 15
My piece of pizza
Fell asleep in management class, did some shopping for the 'rant then spent four hours there, before having to take off to meet B for birthing class. The restaurant was very quiet, lunch during the week seems to be a dead zone right now, I wonder if we'll squash lunch service for now. Birthing class was silly, I didn't need a rubber doll to figure out how to undress and dress my future baby. If I was a klutz, maybe, but I ain't. My baby is gonna be a piece of cake! Excuse me, a piece of pizza. Mark my words, he he he he.
EYE OPENER: 7:30am, swig of apple cider
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 cart donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, tuna sandwich, hamburger, lemonade, a few prosciutto balls, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L again weirdly generous with a homemade 2 course lunch. He showed me the most charming recipe book his mother wrote for him, made me sad that I didn't come from a cooking family, where I could get such a soulful artifact.
PM SNACK: 6pm, cup of matzo ball soup, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B brought it from Eisenberg's, unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep me fully awake during the birthing class.
DINNER: 9:45pm, pint of shrimp lomein, homemade mint chip ice cream. 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EYE OPENER: 7:30am, swig of apple cider
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 cart donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 2pm, tuna sandwich, hamburger, lemonade, a few prosciutto balls, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L again weirdly generous with a homemade 2 course lunch. He showed me the most charming recipe book his mother wrote for him, made me sad that I didn't come from a cooking family, where I could get such a soulful artifact.
PM SNACK: 6pm, cup of matzo ball soup, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
B brought it from Eisenberg's, unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep me fully awake during the birthing class.
DINNER: 9:45pm, pint of shrimp lomein, homemade mint chip ice cream. 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Tuesday, April 14
Double lunch
Interesting day at the restaurant. L served up lunch twice, after we had a meeting last night over crappy pizza where I gently scolded/warned him if we don't serve a regular staff meal, we're going to have a huge staffing problem in the future.
New pizza maker today at the restaurant, an older Italian guy, shockingly went smoothly with L. Have mixed feelings about it, we'll see how things play out when things get busy and the pressure is on.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, badly reformulated organic Cheerios with organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Ugg. The packaging said 'new', but this is a whole different thing. The original tasted hard and oaty and dense, this is light and crisp and corny. Will not buy again.
LUNCH 1: 12:30pm, meat stuffed cabbage with dill sauce, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Given to us by the Polish garbage man, who fancies himself a cook. Really good, actually.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, slice of white pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH 2: 3:30pm, hamburger with chips, bad pickle, lemonade, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L felt like making burgers for everyone. The wonderbread buns I could have done without, ditto the jarred industrial pickle.
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, glass of lemonade
Made lemonade in the restaurant with a made up recipe, satisfying that everyone dug it -- I guess c-school was good fo' sumtin!
PM SNACK: 7pm, glass of mandorla
PM SNACK: 9pm, small square of Sicilian
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, small cup of chocolate gelato, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of tap beer
MIDNIGHT WATERING: 12am, quart or water
New pizza maker today at the restaurant, an older Italian guy, shockingly went smoothly with L. Have mixed feelings about it, we'll see how things play out when things get busy and the pressure is on.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, badly reformulated organic Cheerios with organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Ugg. The packaging said 'new', but this is a whole different thing. The original tasted hard and oaty and dense, this is light and crisp and corny. Will not buy again.
LUNCH 1: 12:30pm, meat stuffed cabbage with dill sauce, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Given to us by the Polish garbage man, who fancies himself a cook. Really good, actually.
PM SNACK: 1:30pm, slice of white pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH 2: 3:30pm, hamburger with chips, bad pickle, lemonade, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L felt like making burgers for everyone. The wonderbread buns I could have done without, ditto the jarred industrial pickle.
PM SNACK: 5:30pm, glass of lemonade
Made lemonade in the restaurant with a made up recipe, satisfying that everyone dug it -- I guess c-school was good fo' sumtin!
PM SNACK: 7pm, glass of mandorla
PM SNACK: 9pm, small square of Sicilian
EVENING SNACK: 10pm, small cup of chocolate gelato, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of tap beer
MIDNIGHT WATERING: 12am, quart or water
Monday, April 13
No pizza....wait, no, there was pizza.
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 street cart donuts, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:15pm, swiss and turkey on rye, French fries, chocolate egg cream, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to Eisenberg’s Sandwiches, across from the Flat Iron, where B works. I hate to admit it, but I found out about this classic NY institution from Bourdain’s TV show. It’s a lunch counter and small dining room that’s been operating for over 75 years, and its menu, motif, and style hasn’t changed much. I sat at the counter, ordered without a menu, and had exactly what I ordered in under 60 seconds. I say exactly, because I wanted lettuce, tomato, a pickle, a little slaw, but I guess you have to ask. B had a mediocre veggie burger….but this is not the place for veggie burgers. The sandwich was perfectly serviceable, and the fries were good, but looking at what other people were eating, I probably should have gotten the matzo ball soup.
I heard someone order an egg cream, so I thought, OK, this is a place where you should order an egg cream. Thing is, I never had an egg cream before, despite my father's fond reminiscence of having them as a child. I know, in theory, what it is: milk, chocolate syrup, and seltzer. In practice it is…..well, nothing special. Watered down chocolate milk with a bit of light fizz, not impressive. It’s like Yoohoo, minus all the chemically thickeners and preservatives.
PM SNACK: 4:30pm, bite of falafel, bite of chocolate
At K's house, she's ever the good hostess.
PM SNORT: 5:45pm, 12 oz of beer, peanuts, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Midtown after-work drink with E. The sink in the bathroom at Brasserie is trough-style and is slightly low hung, and there's no urinal....for a second, I thought it was a trough-urinal. If I were drunk, I would have totally peed in that sink.
DINNER: 9:30pm, 2 slices crappy pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out in Soho with L and his daughters, talking restaurant business. We went to Arturo's on Houston, a coal-oven pizzeria that's been there forever. L even ate there in 1969 and thought it was mediocre then. And it still is now. At least they're consistent!!
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, 1 crappy frozen waffle with home made mint chip ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
That ice cream will make even a crappy waffle sing.
LUNCH: 12:15pm, swiss and turkey on rye, French fries, chocolate egg cream, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Went to Eisenberg’s Sandwiches, across from the Flat Iron, where B works. I hate to admit it, but I found out about this classic NY institution from Bourdain’s TV show. It’s a lunch counter and small dining room that’s been operating for over 75 years, and its menu, motif, and style hasn’t changed much. I sat at the counter, ordered without a menu, and had exactly what I ordered in under 60 seconds. I say exactly, because I wanted lettuce, tomato, a pickle, a little slaw, but I guess you have to ask. B had a mediocre veggie burger….but this is not the place for veggie burgers. The sandwich was perfectly serviceable, and the fries were good, but looking at what other people were eating, I probably should have gotten the matzo ball soup.
I heard someone order an egg cream, so I thought, OK, this is a place where you should order an egg cream. Thing is, I never had an egg cream before, despite my father's fond reminiscence of having them as a child. I know, in theory, what it is: milk, chocolate syrup, and seltzer. In practice it is…..well, nothing special. Watered down chocolate milk with a bit of light fizz, not impressive. It’s like Yoohoo, minus all the chemically thickeners and preservatives.
PM SNACK: 4:30pm, bite of falafel, bite of chocolate
At K's house, she's ever the good hostess.
PM SNORT: 5:45pm, 12 oz of beer, peanuts, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Midtown after-work drink with E. The sink in the bathroom at Brasserie is trough-style and is slightly low hung, and there's no urinal....for a second, I thought it was a trough-urinal. If I were drunk, I would have totally peed in that sink.
DINNER: 9:30pm, 2 slices crappy pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Out in Soho with L and his daughters, talking restaurant business. We went to Arturo's on Houston, a coal-oven pizzeria that's been there forever. L even ate there in 1969 and thought it was mediocre then. And it still is now. At least they're consistent!!
EVENING SNACK: 11pm, 1 crappy frozen waffle with home made mint chip ice cream, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
That ice cream will make even a crappy waffle sing.
Sunday, April 12
Hungry Vegan Confab
Spent the day collecting a few ingredients and cooking with B in the other room napping, a peaceful Sunday with friends and wife and some home made pizza. Tomorrow, no pizza. Maybe.
AM SNACK: 2am, large hunk of chocolate chip cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, brown rice crispies with organic dead milk, a few cold spare ribs from left over Chinese food that I missed last night, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, bottle of purple gatorade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:30pm, bowl of whole wheat matzo ball soup from yo momma in law, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2:15pm, 2 frozen waffles, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE DINNER: 5:30pm, 4 pizzas (salad, marg, sopressetta and shrimp, banana & semi sweet chocolate), mint chocolate chip ice cream, prosecco, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made pizzas at home for the HVS and the HVM, good vibes. Used dough from the restaurant, but had to reball this morning, making for very hard dough to work with -- the pizzas were not stretched enough and were a bit small and thick, but because of my oven, it probably worked better than if it was super thin. Made a few alternative vegan pies, too. The red came out a bit dry, but I did one with cooked spinach and mushroom (hit with a little fresh garlic and salt at the end of it's cooking), roasted red pepper and fresh thin sliced tomato, was surprised how pretty good it was. Enjoyed the shrimp pizza, which from bottom to top was light coat of moz, thin slices of tomato, single piece of sopressetta per slice, three small prosecco-poached pieces of shrimp per slice, one clove of roasted garlic per slice, finished with parsley and basil. Crust got a sprinkling of romano which made it turn golden in a good way. Ice cream was a little soupy, but I attempted a soy ice cream which never came together, so I served it as a shake!
AM SNACK: 2am, large hunk of chocolate chip cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, brown rice crispies with organic dead milk, a few cold spare ribs from left over Chinese food that I missed last night, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11am, bottle of purple gatorade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 12:30pm, bowl of whole wheat matzo ball soup from yo momma in law, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 2:15pm, 2 frozen waffles, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE DINNER: 5:30pm, 4 pizzas (salad, marg, sopressetta and shrimp, banana & semi sweet chocolate), mint chocolate chip ice cream, prosecco, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made pizzas at home for the HVS and the HVM, good vibes. Used dough from the restaurant, but had to reball this morning, making for very hard dough to work with -- the pizzas were not stretched enough and were a bit small and thick, but because of my oven, it probably worked better than if it was super thin. Made a few alternative vegan pies, too. The red came out a bit dry, but I did one with cooked spinach and mushroom (hit with a little fresh garlic and salt at the end of it's cooking), roasted red pepper and fresh thin sliced tomato, was surprised how pretty good it was. Enjoyed the shrimp pizza, which from bottom to top was light coat of moz, thin slices of tomato, single piece of sopressetta per slice, three small prosecco-poached pieces of shrimp per slice, one clove of roasted garlic per slice, finished with parsley and basil. Crust got a sprinkling of romano which made it turn golden in a good way. Ice cream was a little soupy, but I attempted a soy ice cream which never came together, so I served it as a shake!
Second week down
.
Bad acid pizza party trip, maaaan!
Long day at the 'rant, but a good one. Due to crap weather, we remained very quiet until dinner, then we did a nice steady clip that we were able to keep up with. Prep came together in the morning, and L's good mood elevated all ships. He busted my balls a bit during the day, but at the end of the day it'll make me a better pizza maker. Still, glad to be home and spend some time with my B. Got a big ball of dough, now gotta figure out the toppings for the HVS Conference...
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, too dazed, don't think I ate anything
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, pieces of freshly cooked slab bacon, slice of egg pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, meatball hero, sprite, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT DAZE: 5-midnight, a meatball, a rootbeer, small piece of Sicilian, 2 glasses of mandorla, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 1am, 2 veg dumplings, small scallion pancake, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Exactly what I was wanting! I love my B!
How one feel like after a second 80 hour week at a new restaurant. That large Mexican man wasn't actually there, he was just a figment of my imagination...
Bad acid pizza party trip, maaaan!
Long day at the 'rant, but a good one. Due to crap weather, we remained very quiet until dinner, then we did a nice steady clip that we were able to keep up with. Prep came together in the morning, and L's good mood elevated all ships. He busted my balls a bit during the day, but at the end of the day it'll make me a better pizza maker. Still, glad to be home and spend some time with my B. Got a big ball of dough, now gotta figure out the toppings for the HVS Conference...
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, too dazed, don't think I ate anything
PM SNACK: 12:30pm, pieces of freshly cooked slab bacon, slice of egg pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 4pm, meatball hero, sprite, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT DAZE: 5-midnight, a meatball, a rootbeer, small piece of Sicilian, 2 glasses of mandorla, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 1am, 2 veg dumplings, small scallion pancake, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Exactly what I was wanting! I love my B!
How one feel like after a second 80 hour week at a new restaurant. That large Mexican man wasn't actually there, he was just a figment of my imagination...
Friday, April 10
My brain is mush, my body is beat
Long day at the restaurant, 14.75 hours to be exact. Wow, an 8 hour work day, now that would be cool! L faded during the day and we closed for an hour to collect ourselves, down some Manhattan Specials, then do it again. Staffing issues were abound, and L fired a kitchen guy we were trying out on the spot...which is fine, it's his business; but, when I confronted him in private about it ("so, now that we fired the trainee, what's out game plan for tomorrow?"), he tried to lay into me and some of the other guys. When I confronted him with his own logic, he didn't seem to appreciate it, and got a bit yelly. It was weird, but I'm glad I found that little piece of Brooklyn my mom instilled in me that allowed me to yell back without losing my shit. I'm tired. Looking forward Sunday and the Grand Snickle Dinner. Which may be home cooked or may be at Broadway East, depending on my sleep requirements...
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic chex with the organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 4pm, a few quickly eaten slices of pizza, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-midnight, a small slice of Sicilian, a Manhattan Special, a few glasses of latte di mendorla, a few glasses of water, a rootbeer, a small amount of beer near the end, 1.25 bowl, hunger ?/5
EARLY MORNING WATERING: 1:30am, quart o' agua
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic chex with the organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
LUNCH: 4pm, a few quickly eaten slices of pizza, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-midnight, a small slice of Sicilian, a Manhattan Special, a few glasses of latte di mendorla, a few glasses of water, a rootbeer, a small amount of beer near the end, 1.25 bowl, hunger ?/5
EARLY MORNING WATERING: 1:30am, quart o' agua
Thursday, April 9
Passover 2
Spent the first half of the day at the restaurant, and we got creamed with too much business, due to the good weather, I assume. From 12:30 until when I had to leave at 4 for B's family's seder, it was slammed, all pistons turning, and we were understaffed and underprepped for the large quantity of service. Need to get to sleep early tonight, I imagine I could be coming into an unhappy hornet's nest tomorrow.
The seder was megafun, really enjoy B's side of the family, lucky to have mostly cool inlaws who love the lives they lead.
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, small bowl of ygurt, honey, vanilla, nuts, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 1-4pm, 2 small cold slices, a little water, bottle of rootbeer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM DRINK: 4:45pm, apple cider, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
SEDER: 6-9pm, various cookies and homemade macaroons, matzoh and maror, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, turkey with ratatouille and asparagus, sip on wine, water, seltzer, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
The homemade macaroons had a crazy amount of soul to them, so much than the stuff out of the air-tight can.
The seder was megafun, really enjoy B's side of the family, lucky to have mostly cool inlaws who love the lives they lead.
BREAKFAST: 9:15am, small bowl of ygurt, honey, vanilla, nuts, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 1-4pm, 2 small cold slices, a little water, bottle of rootbeer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM DRINK: 4:45pm, apple cider, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
SEDER: 6-9pm, various cookies and homemade macaroons, matzoh and maror, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, turkey with ratatouille and asparagus, sip on wine, water, seltzer, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
The homemade macaroons had a crazy amount of soul to them, so much than the stuff out of the air-tight can.
Wednesday, April 8
Passover 1
School in the morning, then picked up a rental car and kicked it with the old lady for a few hours before bearing Passover traffic down to New Jersey Land. Go dowwwwn, NJ Turnpike, way down in Monmouth county....tell the traffic, let my rental gooooo!
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 street donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM TASTING: 11am, 4 tastes of wine, 7 kinds of cheese, hunk of bread, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 1pm, spoonful of homemade icecream, snippet of homemade chocochip cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3pm, another hunk o' cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Too good for words. Must save some for cookies this Sunday for the HVM.
PM SNACK: 5:15pm, slice of "Brooklyn Style Pizza", .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
We got to the seder in deep dark NJ a little early despite bad traffic (because I'm crazy like that), so me and B just road down to the local mall and found a slice joint, which had an odd Passover menu. We skipped that and had slices, which billed it self as 'brick oven' -- it was not -- and "a taste of Brooklyn" -- it really was not.
SEDER: 6:30-9:30pm, shot of slivovitz, gefilte fish, meat balls, matzoh ball soup, chicken, spinach kugel, matzo farfel, salad, matzoh w/ maror and horse radish, water, diet sprite, chocolate covered coconut macaroon, chocolate covered matzoh, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
I would have eaten more if it wasn't for that slice. The farfel went down a storm -- people just don't eat shmaltz anymore, and that dish is nothing if not a delivery system for chicken fat -- it's hard to make it bad if you use the real stuff. It was really nice to be with people who had strong fond memories of my parents (and my aunts and uncles who also have passed). Food wasn't bad, some of it was clearly store bought, some of it c been tweaked, but that doesn't matter, it had a lot of soul and a lot of love in everything from the food, to the presentation to the service to the desert. No complaints here. But next year I want to tackle this seder's central traditional app, a Viennese meatball in a sweet tomato sauce which can be kicked up several notches with just a few adjustments....
BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 street donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM TASTING: 11am, 4 tastes of wine, 7 kinds of cheese, hunk of bread, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 1pm, spoonful of homemade icecream, snippet of homemade chocochip cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 3pm, another hunk o' cookie dough, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Too good for words. Must save some for cookies this Sunday for the HVM.
PM SNACK: 5:15pm, slice of "Brooklyn Style Pizza", .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
We got to the seder in deep dark NJ a little early despite bad traffic (because I'm crazy like that), so me and B just road down to the local mall and found a slice joint, which had an odd Passover menu. We skipped that and had slices, which billed it self as 'brick oven' -- it was not -- and "a taste of Brooklyn" -- it really was not.
SEDER: 6:30-9:30pm, shot of slivovitz, gefilte fish, meat balls, matzoh ball soup, chicken, spinach kugel, matzo farfel, salad, matzoh w/ maror and horse radish, water, diet sprite, chocolate covered coconut macaroon, chocolate covered matzoh, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
I would have eaten more if it wasn't for that slice. The farfel went down a storm -- people just don't eat shmaltz anymore, and that dish is nothing if not a delivery system for chicken fat -- it's hard to make it bad if you use the real stuff. It was really nice to be with people who had strong fond memories of my parents (and my aunts and uncles who also have passed). Food wasn't bad, some of it was clearly store bought, some of it c been tweaked, but that doesn't matter, it had a lot of soul and a lot of love in everything from the food, to the presentation to the service to the desert. No complaints here. But next year I want to tackle this seder's central traditional app, a Viennese meatball in a sweet tomato sauce which can be kicked up several notches with just a few adjustments....
Tuesday, April 7
Short day
Mellow day at the restaurant, lot of prep in the morning and afternoon, service was pretty chill, send a bunch of people home early, ended calmly and was able to get out of there before 11pm. Only 13.5 hours, a short day! Looking forward to passover with other Wildmans in the wilds of Joisey, and passing around my farfel.
BREAKFAST: 7:30am, glass of apple cider, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 3pm, 2 slices, chicory salad, cream soda, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 7pm meat ball, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 9pm, half slice of bacon avocado pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10pm, half a beer
EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, 1 scoop of homemade ice cream with homemade rumbled chocolate chip cookie dough, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST: 7:30am, glass of apple cider, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 3pm, 2 slices, chicory salad, cream soda, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 7pm meat ball, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACK: 9pm, half slice of bacon avocado pizza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
EVENING SNORT: 10pm, half a beer
EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, 1 scoop of homemade ice cream with homemade rumbled chocolate chip cookie dough, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Monday, April 6
Dark Circles
I did 83 hours at the restaurant last week. Woke up with dark circles under my eyes, tried hard not to fall asleep in class, had a wonderful vegan lunch with HVS and the HVM, spent too many hours with L at the restaurant, then too many hours banging out work on the home computer. Getting to sleep early, going to take a protective nyquil and sleep like the dead.
BREAKFAST: 6:30am, organic chex with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 10am, cart pound cake, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE LUNCH: 1pm, seitan, brussel sprouts, rice with chickpeas, choco-coconut-hazelnut ice cream, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACKS: 3-5pm, hamburger, hotdog, beer tasting, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A film crew was using the restaurant as a holding area so I got to eat out of their shitty commisary truck.
DINNER: 8pm, momma style salad, pint of pork fried rice, quart o' water, gatoraide, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4.5
BREAKFAST: 6:30am, organic chex with good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
AM SNACK: 10am, cart pound cake, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
SNICKLE LUNCH: 1pm, seitan, brussel sprouts, rice with chickpeas, choco-coconut-hazelnut ice cream, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
PM SNACKS: 3-5pm, hamburger, hotdog, beer tasting, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A film crew was using the restaurant as a holding area so I got to eat out of their shitty commisary truck.
DINNER: 8pm, momma style salad, pint of pork fried rice, quart o' water, gatoraide, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4.5
Sunday, April 5
And on the Seventh Day, He Ate Pizza Again
Got to bed around 4pm, but got up around 10, looking forward to a day with B after an 80 hour work week. Did some chores, food shopping, made matzo farfel for the seders this week, and made some pizzas for B and a couple and their daughter this evening.
BREAKFAST: 10am, snippet of chocolate chip cookie dough, bowl of baby carrots. 1bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11:30am, big piece of chocoalte babka from Russ & Daughters, .5 bwol, hunger 4/5
PM TASTING: 3pm. bits of matzo farfel
PM WATERING 3:30pm, half a bottle o water
PM TASTING: 4-5:30pm, wine reduction, sliced sopresetta, a cookie, .25 bowl
DINNER: 6pm, little slices of 3 homemade pizzas, a little matzo farfel, vanilla custard ice cream, 1 chocolate chip cookie, half glass of wine, bottle of gatorade, 1.25 bowl, hunger 3/5
B's friends and their charming little girl came over for dinner. I brought home one dough from the restaurant, but I was so wacked out of my skull, I didn't think that ONE medium dough might not feed 4 people, it's really more for 2. So I improvised, made three mini pies, cut the first two into 8ths. The first was a standard margarita, the second was a white with sopressetta and a little black pepper, like L likes it. I realized then that it wasn't enough food, so I gave a mid-meal tasting course of the matzo farfel I made, which is delicious simply to the fact tat it's full of chicken fat and chicken stock. The last pizza, if I was going to be tiny on portion, well, wasn't going to go out being tiny on flavor, so I popped my head in the fridge rooting for toppings. After dismissing B's tepid fat-free ricotta, I ended up thinly slicing a plum tomato onto a bed of fresh moz, unfroze three frozen shrimp, chopped them and put them on the pie, finished with fresh garlic, oregano, olive oil and the shrimp all covered in pecorino. Baked to a golden crisp, the shrimp came out surprisingly perfect. My only regret is that I reduced a bottle of old white wine in the fridge today, I should have splashed some on the pizza to see what it would do...
BREAKFAST: 10am, snippet of chocolate chip cookie dough, bowl of baby carrots. 1bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 11:30am, big piece of chocoalte babka from Russ & Daughters, .5 bwol, hunger 4/5
PM TASTING: 3pm. bits of matzo farfel
PM WATERING 3:30pm, half a bottle o water
PM TASTING: 4-5:30pm, wine reduction, sliced sopresetta, a cookie, .25 bowl
DINNER: 6pm, little slices of 3 homemade pizzas, a little matzo farfel, vanilla custard ice cream, 1 chocolate chip cookie, half glass of wine, bottle of gatorade, 1.25 bowl, hunger 3/5
B's friends and their charming little girl came over for dinner. I brought home one dough from the restaurant, but I was so wacked out of my skull, I didn't think that ONE medium dough might not feed 4 people, it's really more for 2. So I improvised, made three mini pies, cut the first two into 8ths. The first was a standard margarita, the second was a white with sopressetta and a little black pepper, like L likes it. I realized then that it wasn't enough food, so I gave a mid-meal tasting course of the matzo farfel I made, which is delicious simply to the fact tat it's full of chicken fat and chicken stock. The last pizza, if I was going to be tiny on portion, well, wasn't going to go out being tiny on flavor, so I popped my head in the fridge rooting for toppings. After dismissing B's tepid fat-free ricotta, I ended up thinly slicing a plum tomato onto a bed of fresh moz, unfroze three frozen shrimp, chopped them and put them on the pie, finished with fresh garlic, oregano, olive oil and the shrimp all covered in pecorino. Baked to a golden crisp, the shrimp came out surprisingly perfect. My only regret is that I reduced a bottle of old white wine in the fridge today, I should have splashed some on the pizza to see what it would do...
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