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
Friday, May 15
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....
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...
Getting a little better
Cranked out pizzas all day, it started around 12:30 and did not stop until around 10pm. We did our best at prep in the morning and got it down mostly, but once it started rolling, all I really did was expedite, make the hot apps in cast iron pans in the pizza oven, guide L with our (non)system for tickets, deal with various issues that came up in the dining room, and try to suck down a bit of energy/food along the way. Afterward, went for a drink on the promenade with a fellow kitchen worker to unwind for a few hours and go over the past week in detail, as well as geek out talking about pizza.
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, I can't remember, I may not have eaten anything after only 4 hours of sleep
RESTAURANT DAZE: 10am-midnight, 2 Manhattan Specials, various small quantities of pizzas, a few snippets of salad, water, a beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
POST DAZE BEER: 12:30, maybe a pint and a half of Brooklyn Local 2
POST BEER DAZE: 2:30am, 2 cheese burgers and a small fries, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Drunk, tired, missing home and my parents, indulged in a sinful thing, the only thing open and on the way home that wasn't Chinese, a McDonalds. Makes me miss my grandmother. People really eat this stuff on a regular basis?
BREAKFAST: 8:30am, I can't remember, I may not have eaten anything after only 4 hours of sleep
RESTAURANT DAZE: 10am-midnight, 2 Manhattan Specials, various small quantities of pizzas, a few snippets of salad, water, a beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
POST DAZE BEER: 12:30, maybe a pint and a half of Brooklyn Local 2
POST BEER DAZE: 2:30am, 2 cheese burgers and a small fries, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Drunk, tired, missing home and my parents, indulged in a sinful thing, the only thing open and on the way home that wasn't Chinese, a McDonalds. Makes me miss my grandmother. People really eat this stuff on a regular basis?
Saturday, April 4
Buzzzzzz
If I write a book about my life in pizza, today's events and goings on will definitely emerge as the begining of the fun part of text. Yesterday started in chaos and miserable feelings and emerged and ended into order and happy vibes. Today started with happy vibes and a lot of productivity and ended in chaos and upset people and a chef/owner who was threatening mutiny at himself (!?) There was not a communication breakdown between me and L so much as a personality breakdown, something that I've never experienced and don't quite know how to describe. L apologized and copped to making a mistake by the end of the night, but it was all a bit...weird. It's now 3am, I need to be back at the shop in 7 hours, and I'm still buzzing on the fumes.
It all started with a side of fresh garlic requested by a customer. It all went quickly downhill from there. Remind me to tell you this story some time. I'm goin' to bed and gonna snuggle hard with my B and her big ol' B-belly!
BREAKFAST: 8am, apple juice, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST 2: 10:15am, small organic oatmeal with mango and grapes, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
L was nice and brought me a hi-quality energy food get us going.
LUNCH: 2pm, a slice, a Manhattan Special, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 3pm-2am, not sure what I ate, vaguely remember a cream soda, a couple of small pieces of experimental squid pizza, a few bottles of water, a taste of meat ball, a scoop of chestnut honey gelato, ? bowls, hunger ?/5
AM WATERING: 2:30am, quart of liquid NYC tap
It all started with a side of fresh garlic requested by a customer. It all went quickly downhill from there. Remind me to tell you this story some time. I'm goin' to bed and gonna snuggle hard with my B and her big ol' B-belly!
BREAKFAST: 8am, apple juice, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
BREAKFAST 2: 10:15am, small organic oatmeal with mango and grapes, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
L was nice and brought me a hi-quality energy food get us going.
LUNCH: 2pm, a slice, a Manhattan Special, .75 bowl, hunger 3/5
RESTAURANT HAZE: 3pm-2am, not sure what I ate, vaguely remember a cream soda, a couple of small pieces of experimental squid pizza, a few bottles of water, a taste of meat ball, a scoop of chestnut honey gelato, ? bowls, hunger ?/5
AM WATERING: 2:30am, quart of liquid NYC tap
Friday, April 3
The Most Passive Aggresive Pizza Ever.
Weighed in at 219.4 this evening, after a long hard shift at the restaurant. I went to school this morning, and when I came in, L was on the warpath and the kitchen staff was literally on the edge of quitting. My hunkering down, sucking it up, leading by example, and offering some positive commentary helped to calm things down a bit. But when L gave us a lunch of one meat ball each, I went back to him and pointedly asked, Ware we having with that? So he sent out the most passive aggressive pizza EVER, a medium pie with only sauce and basil leaves...no cheese, no oregano, no nuthin'....and he didn't even let me cut it, he said, "Tear it." Weird.
The dinner rush came, and despite all the ill will and yelling, we pulled it together and got each other's backs. Not too bad. By the end of the night, L and I were smiling at each other. We did better. Not great, not even good, but better. I'm not ready to crank out pizzas along side him yet, but I've been watching closely, taking the abuse, taking notes, and feel ready for tomorrow.
BREAKFAST: 6:30am, organic chex with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 9am, salami on french bread slices with herbed butter, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 5:30pm, 1 meatball, small amount of cheeseless pizza, sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT DAZE: 5:30pm-12:30pm, water straight from tap, a few snippets of mushroom, a cream soda, a cranberry lime GuS, half a glass of tap beer, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
I gotta bring in a water bottle tomorrow.
AM WATERING: 1:15am, a quart o' aqua, por favor.
The dinner rush came, and despite all the ill will and yelling, we pulled it together and got each other's backs. Not too bad. By the end of the night, L and I were smiling at each other. We did better. Not great, not even good, but better. I'm not ready to crank out pizzas along side him yet, but I've been watching closely, taking the abuse, taking notes, and feel ready for tomorrow.
BREAKFAST: 6:30am, organic chex with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
AM SNACK: 9am, salami on french bread slices with herbed butter, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 5:30pm, 1 meatball, small amount of cheeseless pizza, sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
RESTAURANT DAZE: 5:30pm-12:30pm, water straight from tap, a few snippets of mushroom, a cream soda, a cranberry lime GuS, half a glass of tap beer, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
I gotta bring in a water bottle tomorrow.
AM WATERING: 1:15am, a quart o' aqua, por favor.
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